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Toronto mom Cheryl Atkinson can't wait for all-day learning for 4- and 5-year-olds to come to her Beach-area neighbourhood, which is teeming with young families and bereft of daycares.
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Teachers' unions, however, are outraged the plan calls for teachers and early childhood educators to work together in the classroom. But in a bid to ensure everyone plays nicely in the sandbox, McGuinty said he hopes teachers can put their differences aside and focus on what's best for children.
"The only way for us to get this done is to call upon the goodwill and the know-how and the talent of all of our partners in education," he said.
Both the public and Catholic school teachers' unions say the plan, released yesterday by former deputy education minister Charles Pascal, would violate their collective agreements, which stipulate only their members can teach in the classroom.
Pascal's plan recommends a full school day for all 4- and 5-year-olds by 2013 with schools offering fee-based after-school and summer programs up to age 12 at the request of 15 or more families.
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Teachers' unions support the so-called "seamless day" learning concept but take issue with Pascal's call for them to share teaching duties with early childhood educators.
"The fact is, nobody has ever suggested that the (kindergarten) programs that exist today are not successful programs," said David Clegg, head of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.
"I'm concerned this would reopen collective agreements."
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- reprinted from Toronto Star